Intellectual Property and Innovation:
Education on IP
Communication from the delegations of australia;
canada; Chile; the european union; hong kong, china; israel; japan;
korea,
Republic of; new zealand; Singapore; switzerland; Separate
Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu;
the united Kingdom AND the united states of america
_______________
1 Introduction
1. Intellectual Property (IP), including Intellectual Property Rights
(IPRs), provides means for inventors and creators to generate returns on their
efforts and investment in innovation and creativity as well as protect them
from unauthorised use of their inventions or creations. As a result, IP is a
driving force for technological innovation and progress[1], and provides an important contribution to economic development and
job creation.[2] Furthermore, IP supports cultural diversity, including the
continued development of music, literature and other forms of cultural
expression. IP can also support the effective dissemination of new technologies
around the world.
2. Considering the role of IP, it is vital to disseminate knowledge of
it throughout society. Such education can include information on how IP can
support creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, economic growth and
competitiveness. Greater awareness of IP can also help consumers to make informed
choices, leading to better consumer protection and reduction of illicit trade.[3]
3. Education on IP should also include information on risks and
consequences of IPRs infringements - which remain a serious challenge, perhaps
especially among younger people, where there is some evidence that their
tolerance towards IPRs infringement is greater than in older generations.[4] For example, with the raise of digital technologies, access to
digital content such as music, movies and video games has become easier than
ever. As a result, some younger people - who may be less aware of the legal and
ethical consequences of their actions - access illicit content, bringing harm
to creative industries, risking legal sanctions, and exposing themselves to
viruses and malware.
2 Education on IP
4. Education on IP encompasses the knowledge, skills and competences
that enable people to become familiar with IP and understand its potential to
generate income and economic growth, and that lead them to respect it. IP
education should cover not only IPRs but also related issues such as for
example ownership, authorship, originality, licensing, confidentiality, trade
secrets and branding.
5. Moreover, IP critical skills are essential to support increased
creativity, innovation and investment in research and development. To unlock
the social and economic value of IP, we need to improve understanding of its
role within creativity and innovation. A long-term, strategic approach is
required to educate people, so IP awareness is developed systematically and
incrementally, starting from an early age. Therefore, appropriate school and university curricula should be
developed and introduced to promote greater awareness, knowledge and respect
for IP. Education levels to consider when introducing such curricula include primary
and secondary schools as well as tertiary education, particularly in STEM
(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and SHAPE (social sciences,
humanities and the arts) - to
ensure that future inventors, creators and entrepreneurs know how to benefit
from and protect their IP. Moreover, education on IP could be included in
relevant vocational training, life-long learning and professional development
programmes.
6. Furthermore, IP education may
be designed as a single dedicated IP education programme or be integrated into
existing subjects[5] as a cross-curricular theme
throughout all educational levels. In the latter case, and depending on the
field of studies, IP topics could be incorporated into classes on law, entrepreneurship,
marketing, arts, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), science, and engineering.
7. To ensure greater efficacy,
Members' relevant authorities could consider developing IP curricula, programmes
and tools in close cooperation with their national IP Offices, schools and
universities, relevant industries (such as publishers, music and film
industry), consumer protection bodies and educational organisations. Such
cooperation could also help with creating modern and up-to-date IP teaching
materials and resources for students, teachers and other educators, including videos,
games, tutorials, e-learning portals and other online content.
8. In addition, to develop
effective IP curricula and relevant teaching materials and resources, it is
crucial to gather reliable and comprehensive data which allows policymakers to
fully understand the existing needs and landscape of IP education. Otherwise,
the lack of such data could lead to inadequate or misguided policies that do
not effectively address the needs of educators, students and creators.
9. Numerous WTO Members and relevant international organisations have
recognized the importance of IP in education and have undertaken policy-making
initiatives for its implementation. Such initiatives have resulted in the
creation of teaching materials and methodologies, sharing of experiences and
best practices as well as technical assistance for interested countries.
10. One example of such an initiative is the WIPO Academy[6] which provides a service - IP4Youth&Teachers -
to youth, teachers and educators to help them learn and teach creativity and inventiveness
through IP. The service promotes dialogue among youth, educators, curricula
setters, and IP offices. It also provides access to learning and teaching
content and is a hub for sharing experiences, policy documents, business cases
and research on the benefits of early introduction to the role of IP in
inventiveness and creativity. Furthermore, as an example of WIPO cooperation
with individual countries, the WIPO Academy and the Atal
Innovation Mission[7] started an initiative with the Government of India to establish
innovation labs and incubators, under the aegis of the Niti Aayog, and have
agreed to cooperate in the area of IP education and skills-building for youth.
11. Another example is the European Union's IP in Education Network[8], composed of representatives of education and other relevant
national authorities and IP Offices, the objective of which is to gather
relevant data to guide IP education policies, identify relevant national
curricula and case studies, share best practices as well as develop modern
resources[9] for pupils and teachers.
12. Similar initiatives have been undertaken by other Members, for
example the US - where the US Patent and Trademark Office provides
educational and outreach programmes for students, educators, young inventors,
and innovators of all ages[10], the UK - where, the UK Intellectual Property Office has developed several IP
capability programmes that include digital tools and resources for business,
students, educators and civil servants, although they will be helpful for
anyone learning how to manage or use IP[11]; and Hong Kong, China - where the Intellectual Property
Department provides comprehensive and in-depth IP training courses and
practical workshops to enterprises, especially SMEs, to build up and enhance
their manpower capacity in IP protection, management and commercialisation[12], and organises IP talks and interactive drama programme
for students at primary and secondary schools to promote IP literacy among
youth.[13]
13. This paper invites Members to discuss policies, programmes, good
practices and challenges of incorporating knowledge about IP into various
levels and types of education. These discussions should encompass, among other
things, the level of education and how to best include IP into curricula.
Members are also invited to discuss which fields of study - for example,
business, engineering or arts - could most benefit from deeper IP knowledge. In
addition, Members are encouraged to share information about successful IP
education programmes and initiatives as well as available online tools,
resources and platforms.
Guiding
questions
1._